Jan 6, 2005 - 12:00 am .- Pope John Paul II today called on the youth of the world to converge in Cologne, Germany, for the 20th World Youth Day this August. “I invite the youth of Germany and their contemporaries around the world to begin their spiritual journey toward this important meeting to discover in Christ, as the Magi did, the will of God,” he said during the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square this morning on the Feast of the Epiphany.

Jan 6, 2005 - 12:00 am .- Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has pledged $25 million in aid for the victims of the devastating tsunami that hit southeast Asia the day after Christmas, leaving more than 150,000 people dead and millions homeless.

Jan 6, 2005 - 12:00 am .- During the Angelus today, Pope John Paul II prayed for the children who died in the tsunami that hit Southeast Asia Dec. 26. He prayed as well for the children, suffering from hunger and sickness, and those who have been abducted and exploited, especially for the ignoble purpose of human trafficking.

Jan 6, 2005 - 12:00 am .- The Diocese of Orange announced the largest settlement in history with victims of clergy sexual abuse Jan. 3. Bishop Tod D. Brown negotiated the $100-million settlement, which was finalized Dec. 2 but placed under a court seal for one month.

Jan 6, 2005 - 12:00 am .- Parents in the Diocese of Orange County have threatened to pull their children from a Catholic school and to seek the Vatican’s intervention after school officials have refused to meet their demands.

Jan 6, 2005 - 12:00 am .- A new bill proposed last month would oblige pharmacists to fill prescriptions for birth control and other abortifacients, even if it is against their moral and religious convictions. The bill was proposed by California Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys.

Jan 6, 2005 - 12:00 am .- Bob Lemming is serious about encouraging kids to choose chastity, and with good reason. His three sons will soon be reaching the age where they are faced with the same difficult questions facing teens and young people today.

Jan 6, 2005 - 12:00 am .- Bishop Joseph Parthan of the Diocese of Surat Thani in Thailand said the Church in that country is preparing to assist in getting aid to the tsunami victims in regions that lie beyond the reach of government institutions.

Jan 6, 2005 - 12:00 am .- Archbishop Agustin Garcia-Gasco of Valencia, Spain, has announced that hundreds of women who chose life rather than abortion for their children will be eligible for full scholarships at Catholic educational institutions.

Jan 6, 2005 - 12:00 am .- Archbishop Domingo Castagna of Corrientes, Argentina, recalled this week that despite the culture of death which has taken root in society, faith enables one “to see beyond and encourages the possibility of producing good so powerful that it puts a definitive end to evil.”

Jan 6, 2005 - 12:00 am .- Despite heavy restrictions on freedom of speech in Cuba, the magazine “Palabra Nueva” (“New Word”), published by the Archdiocese of Havana, closed out 2004 with a positive evaluation of year and a commitment to continue serving Catholics during 2005.